Hi ya all. My wife and I will be purchasing our first 5th wheel in the 2016. Yeah yeah, you're probably like... WTH are you asking NOW when it's so far away. Well, we want to get a truck that will fit our needs without having to upgrade every 2, 3, or 4 years because we wanted to get a "bigger/better" 5th wheel down the road. we are looking at a Ram3500 4x4 CC auto CTD. But can't decide on whether to get an SRW or DRW. I "think" we should have a DRW to pull a 38' Montana since it weighs so much. Am I wrong and that an SRW will pull it too just fine? another issue we have is that if we want to go hunting up on the Plains, there are plenty of spots where a dually is gonna have problems compared to an SRW. soooo what should we do? DRW or SRW. if possible, please give thoughts on why or why not, one or the other, will work or not, please. on a sidenote, we intend to get the truck late 2015 and then go buy the 5er spring of 2016. also, more time will give me more time to do more research before the purchase. thank you ahead of time. Scot "Z" a.k.a. TOTAL newb! :)

The SRW will pull it, put, when changing lanes or maneuvering at speeds you'll find that the 5th wheel will be pushing you around, sort of the tail wagging the dog routine, but with the DRW you will not get this, and will have a MUCH better handling set up, so for safety sake, get the DRW.

Get a dually, you will never regret the decision. If you get the 30K towing package you will have a beast for towing all current or future needs.Have been towing my 36 foot fiver with a dually since 2007 and have zero regrets. I even daily drove it for about a year to work. Still prefer driving that to DW's Suzuki except when I have to go to the hospital.

A great deal of the additional stability gained with dual rear wheels is in the mind of the driver, not in the physics of the truck.

Allworth wrote:A great deal of the additional stability gained with dual rear wheels is in the mind of the driver, not in the physics of the truck.Not exactly true. Someone else recently used the analogy of standing with your feet close together and have someone push on you from the side. Then try the same experiment with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. There is a difference!

The payload ratings for the trucks keep rising every year. The new SRW trucks can support weights not considered even just a few years ago. I know there are many on the Montana Owners Club forum that do tow the larger Montanas with SRWs and say the weight is within their new truck ratings. And they say stability is no problem either.I pull a 35' Montana with my 2012 F350 SRW. It is within the weight and tow ratings. It tows the 5er great and stability is also great, even in strong cross winds. And pulls Colorado mountain passes with little effort.

newb with a DRW/SRW question | Good Sam Community

BB_TX
Nomad
Apr 07, 2014
The payload ratings for the trucks keep rising every year. The new SRW trucks can support weights not considered even just a few years ago. I know there are many on the Montana Owners Club forum that do tow the larger Montanas with SRWs and say the weight is within their new truck ratings. And they say stability is no problem either.
I pull a 35' Montana with my 2012 F350 SRW. It is within the weight and tow ratings. It tows the 5er great and stability is also great, even in strong cross winds. And pulls Colorado mountain passes with little effort.
donn0128
Explorer II
Apr 07, 2014
Allworth wrote:
A great deal of the additional stability gained with dual rear wheels is in the mind of the driver, not in the physics of the truck.

Not exactly true. Someone else recently used the analogy of standing with your feet close together and have someone push on you from the side. Then try the same experiment with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. There is a difference!
Allworth
Explorer II
Apr 07, 2014
A great deal of the additional stability gained with dual rear wheels is in the mind of the driver, not in the physics of the truck.
donn0128
Explorer II
Apr 07, 2014
Get a dually, you will never regret the decision. If you get the 30K towing package you will have a beast for towing all current or future needs.
Have been towing my 36 foot fiver with a dually since 2007 and have zero regrets. I even daily drove it for about a year to work. Still prefer driving that to DW's Suzuki except when I have to go to the hospital.
We_Cant_Wait
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
The SRW will pull it, put, when changing lanes or maneuvering at speeds you'll find that the 5th wheel will be pushing you around, sort of the tail wagging the dog routine, but with the DRW you will not get this, and will have a MUCH better handling set up, so for safety sake, get the DRW.

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